Daktari atampima mtoto kabla ya kumpa dawa.

atampima can be split like this:

• a- = subject marker for he/she (class 1 singular)
• -ta- = future tense
• -m- = object marker for him/her
• -pim- = verb root meaning measure / examine / test
• -a = final vowel

So atampima literally means he/she will examine him/her.

In the full sentence, the subject is daktari, so the idea is the doctor will examine him/her.

Because in Swahili, a finite verb normally still carries a subject marker even when the subject noun is stated separately.

So:

• Daktari atampima...
• literally: Doctor he/she-will-examine-him/her...

This is normal Swahili grammar, not unnecessary repetition.

The -m- is an object marker meaning him/her, and it refers to mtoto.

In Swahili, it is very common to use an object marker even when the full object noun is also present, especially when the object is:

• a person
• animate
• specific/known

So atampima mtoto is a very natural way to say will examine the child.

Yes, that is possible, and it would still be understood.

But Daktari atampima mtoto is often more natural when talking about a specific child, because Swahili commonly marks human objects on the verb. So the version with -m- sounds especially natural here.

The basic meaning of pima is measure, weigh, or test.

In a medical context, it often means something broader like:

• examine
• check
• assess
• test

So here it does not have to mean only literal measuring. It can mean the doctor is examining the child before giving medicine.

kabla means before.

When Swahili connects before to a following noun or infinitive phrase, it commonly uses kabla ya.

So:

• kabla ya kumpa dawa
• = before giving him/her medicine

The ya is part of this very common structure.

kumpa can be split like this:

• ku- = infinitive marker, like to
• -m- = object marker, him/her
• -pa = verb root meaning give

So kumpa literally means to give him/her.

Then:

• kumpa dawa
• = to give him/her medicine

In this sentence, it most naturally refers to mtoto.

So the meaning is:

• the doctor will examine the child
• before giving the child medicine

Both object markers, in atampima and kumpa, most naturally point to the child.

The subject is understood to be the same as in the main clause: the doctor.

So the sentence means that the doctor will examine the child before the doctor gives the child medicine.

Swahili often leaves the subject of an infinitive phrase unstated when it is clear from context.

Because Swahili often builds the recipient into the verb itself.

In English, you might say:

• give medicine to the child

In Swahili, the to the child part can be expressed by the object marker:

• kumpa dawa
• literally: to-give-him/her medicine

So the recipient is already inside the verb form.

Neither specifically. mtoto means child.

It does not tell you whether the child is male or female. Also, the object marker -m- means him/her and does not mark gender.

So this sentence does not specify the child's sex.

Because Swahili normally does not use articles the way English does.

So:

• daktari can mean the doctor or a doctor
• mtoto can mean the child or a child
• dawa can mean medicine, the medicine, or sometimes a medicine

The exact meaning depends on context.

daktari is a human noun, so it takes the normal human agreement pattern of class 1/2.

That is why the singular verb uses a-:

• Daktari atampima... = The doctor will examine...

If it were plural, you would use wa-:

• Madaktari watampima mtoto...
• The doctors will examine the child...

dawa is often treated as a class 9/10 noun, and its form may stay the same in singular and plural.

Depending on context, it can mean:

• medicine
• a medicine
• medicines
• drug / drugs
• medication

In this sentence, medicine is the most natural translation.

Yes. You can say:

• Kabla ya kumpa dawa, daktari atampima mtoto.

That means the same thing: Before giving the child medicine, the doctor will examine the child.

So the order can change for style or emphasis, while the meaning stays basically the same.